Corona Devo 2071

Does anyone remember watching Popeye the Sailor Man cartoons?  One of Popeye's favorite sayings popped into my mind today as I read the Bible: "I am what I am!" 

Or, as Popeye's accent would portray it: "I yam what I yam!"


We are what we are too, in Christ.  

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. (14) I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  (15) My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.  (16) Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.  ~Psalm 139:13-16

Since before we were born, God has had His Heavenly eye upon us and His plans within us.  While we were in our mother's womb the Bible says that God knit us together.

Wild, isn't it?  (And a Divine argument for pro-life.)

The Bible (Psalm 139) also declares that all the days ordained for us were written in God's book before one of them came to be.  

"I am what I am!".  

Each of us are made in God's image (So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.  ~Genesis 1:27).  But this does not mean that each of us was created the same.  No--like snowflakes and fingerprints: each of us are unique designs with unique personalities, giftings, and callings.

"I am what I am!"

It's not just Popeye's saying--it is ours too, and we can find peace and comfort and a calling in it.  Because once we unite with Jesus by believing in Him and trusting our lives to Him, then He is in us, and God's plans are set in motion for us. 

God's plans were always there (For you created my inmost being... all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.  ~Psalm 139:13, 16)..but by giving hearts  to Christ, we can access and enter-in to those plans.

It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, (22) and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.  ~2 Corinthians 1:21-22  

I am what I am...and you are what you are...and we all have work to do for the Kingdom of God.

We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; (7) if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; (8) if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.  ~Romans 12:6-8

We are what we are, and while some of that comes from DNA, all of it comes from our Heavenly DAD.  God has placed passions, giftings, and personalities into each of us for His glory, and (in reading Psalm 139:152) we can be reminded that much of "who we are" is "who we have been" since the Lord knit us together.    

I have known from my earliest days that your laws will last forever.  ~Psalm 119:152  

I think of our kids in their earliest days...and now.  

Our oldest formed a club in 1st or 2nd grade during recess that he named, "Help Club", and students with troubles, or who were sad could come and talk to him to feel better.  

If anyone knows our (currently) 19 year-old, he still runs a help-club of sorts.  His heart and compassion, (which God knit-into-him) have made him a true friend to many and the sounding board and emotional-support of our family.  

God's word and law say that we are His since before birth and I have known from my earliest days that your laws will last forever (Psalm 119:152).  

"I am what I am!" 

~~~

Our middle child got a solo in his 3rd grade Christmas concert, and I am being polite when I say that singing does not run in our family genes.  But the Lord fearfully and wonderfully makes each of us unique, and when his tiny voice cried out, "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel", we heard vocals that were God's DNA and not mine or my husband's.  

He still enjoys singing today, just as his Biblical namesake did over 2,000 years ago.  Only a God who ordained all the days for us before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16) can do that.  

  • About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.  ~acts 16:25  
  • I have known from my earliest days that your laws will last forever.  ~Psalm 119:152   


"I am what I am!" 

~~~

I have a photo of our 4-year old daughter in pre-school, and in it, all of the other children are singing a song and doing the motions, but she is not.  You can see by the look on her face that she knows she should be participating, but that she is choosing not to.

Still today, almost a dozen years later, she is still an independent person, not swayed by the popular crowd or accepted social practices, if they disagree with what she knows to be God's Law.

  • Each of your commandments is right.  That is why I hate every false way.  ~Psalm 119:128 
  • I have known from my earliest days that your laws will last forever.  ~Psalm 119:152   

"I am what I am!" 

~~~

How about you and me?  

Did we know, or did we need reminding that "We are what we are" because God created our inmost being and knit us together in our mother’s womb?

Have we praised God lately because we are fearfully and wonderfully made?  

Do we need a reminder today that God's works (we!) are wonderful?

Remember today and trust in God's Word that our frame was not hidden from God when we were made in the secret place, when we were woven together in the depths of the earth. 

Don't ever fall into the deception that we were a mistake, or that our lives are meaningless.  Nothing (says the Lord) could be farther from His Truth.  His eyes saw our unformed body, and all the days ordained for us were written in His book before one of them came to be.  
(Psalm 139:13-16)

~~~

Since before we were born...since we were little and our personalities were just emerging...all of who we were and who we are...is exactly who God made us to be.

"I am what I am!" 

What are our gifts?  (Here's a hint--what do we enjoy doing?)

Is it being a friend to those who need one?  Is it singing?  Is it sewing, or baking, or golfing, or weight training, or welding, or cleaning, or organizing, or fixing-things, or fishing, or planning events, or teaching, or leading, or juggling, or math, or whistling, or whittling, or nursing, or encouraging, or driving, or praying, or preaching, or coaching, or aunt-ing, or hospitality, or __________?

"I am what I am!"  
Yes--we are.

And "we are what we are" in order to glorify the One who made us into what we are.  

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.  ~Colossians 3:17

Blessings,  

sarah  

Https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com

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